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Browse: Home / books set in Portland

books set in Portland

Nov

19

2021

Foggy photo of a white house with a light on

The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin

Lynette has been saving for three years for a down payment to buy the North Portland house she lives in with her mother and developmentally disabled brother. The owner is giving them a good deal, but Lynette has lousy credit, so her mother has to take out the loan. However, at the last minute they …

Sep

24

2021

photo by Amy Wang for The Oregonian/ Oregonlive.com

From The Oregonian: “‘Wildwood’ is going Hollywood”

By Amy Wang for The Oregonian/ Oregonlive.com September 18, 2021:  “It’s happening! It’s really happening!” That was Portland author and musician Colin Meloy‘s delighted tweet on Wednesday. “I’m super excited to see what these guys do with Wildwood,” Meloy added. That would be “Wildwood” as in the 2011 children’s fantasy novel set in Portland’s Forest Park that put …

Jul

20

2021

Green Bean Books’ “Ways to Make Sunshine” Campaign

From Oregon Live July 10, 2021 Portland-raised author Renée Watson is the inspiration for a campaign that Portland bookstore Green Bean Books is running on behalf of Vernon Elementary School this summer. The campaign’s goal: To sell 275 copies of Watson’s delightful chapter book Ways to Make Sunshine, which follows a Black girl growing up …

Jun

8

2021

Pride Month Recommendations from Inklings Bookshop

From the blog of Inklings Bookshop in Yakima, WA: June marks the beginning of Pride Month for the LGBTQ+ community, and what better way to celebrate Pride than to read! Raymond and I (Samwise) wanted to share some LGBTQ+ books that we are in love with. Juliet Takes a Breath: The Graphic Novel by Gabby …

May

7

2021

Everybody Loves Willy (Vlautin)

Today’s spotlight title: The Night Always Comes by Portland Author Willy Vlautin. Rene Denfeld writes on twitter: Book to put in your gotta-read this queue: this brilliant, realistic story of disenfranchisement, poverty and hope by the amazing Willy Vlautin. Sarah-Jane Roberts shares on twitter: *Dream Book Post Alert* Gracias @joshsm_th @FaberBooks for bringing me the …

Jul

29

2020

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

This summer a highly anticipated title is the YA debut by the author of the adult title Mem. Morrow sets her story in a contemporary alternative world where portions of the population have various mythical abilities and identities. Inherent in these identities are built in assumptions and prejudices, the most heightened of which are towards “sirens,” …

Jun

10

2020

Ways to Make Sunshine by Reneé Watson

I ordered this book around what would have been Bookstore Day in late April and it languished in a stack of to-be-read books until I watched the KidLit4BlackLives Rally—the author was one of the speakers. I pulled it out this morning and was charmed by Ryan and her family; I’m so glad to see that …

Dec

2

2019

The Soul Snatchers by Richard Sanford

To this reader, two of the scariest book and life scenarios are that of cybersecurity and cyberterrorism. Richard Sandford in his novel The Soul Snatchers has achieved both scenarios. The time is the near future. The locales include the San Juan Islands in Washington State, Seattle, Portland (Oregon) and the Bay Area of California. The …

Jul

26

2019

No Ivy League

Excitement Builds for “No Ivy League,” Graphic Memoir by Portland-raised Talent Hazel Newlevant

Check out 1:02- 1:11 for an interview with PNW-raised talent, Hazel Newlevant, discussing their upcoming young adult graphic memoir, No Ivy League, with KidLitTV. The book comes out August 20, 2019 but is available for preorder now. When 17-year-old Hazel takes a summer job clearing ivy from the forest in Portland, Oregon, the only plan …

Mar

12

2019

MITCHELL JACKSON (PHOTO credit: JOHN RICARD)

American Blood: An Interview with
Mitchell S. Jackson from The Paris Review

From The Paris Review 3/8/19: Mitchell S. Jackson’s debut novel The Residue Years was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize, and it was the winner of both the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and a Whiting Writers’ Award winner. He …

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